The Washington critic., 1887-12-31
RItsK1N,s RonlANcIi.
How He Courtcd, Married, aud was u
yorced from His Idcalistic Woman.

How He Courtcd, Married, aud was Di-
vorccd from His idcalistic Woman.
The Atlantic cable and the breezy /
European correspondents of the great
newspapers are bringing John Ruskin's /
name before the public once more. |
Lately the report has been that lie is in
sane. Up to a short time ago they were
satisfied to call him eccentric. Perhaps
he was. But then he was rich, and q
fortune such us he had was Ike char
ity---it covered multitude of eccen-
trcities.
When he began to dabble in literature
he had no need to write for the money
his work would bring him. He is not
as rich to-day, for he has lavished his
wealth on art, on charities, on thousands
of deserving men and women whom the
world never heard about.
John Ruskin did strangely waywnrd
thing when he consented to get married.
He did most crratic, and, to the pub
| lie, Il most inexpicabc thing, when ho
arranged for his divorce.
He had accepted some Of the lofticst
traditions about womnnhood that men
sometimes read OF and talk about, and
| he looked for his Ideal companion. One
night he met her in the drawing-room
of London friend, who, without his
| knowing it, had brought the young lady
to meet the eyes Of the great writer.
1t was June night, he was 50 and
she looked like Greek goddess.
He was dazzled. She was tall, grace
ful girl of 10, with n face and figure as
faultless US one of the statues Of old.
No one ever expected Ruskin TO fail i'll
love, and he did not. She was poor,
needed home and its comforts, and so
they were married.
Their welded life was peaceful,
friendly, kindly to the highest degree,
but there was not spark of affection
to tighten their existence. She admired
the great man She bad married, and
was grateful for the wealth and comfort
he showered ON her. lie worshipped
her as he would the marble made life
like by the sculptors chisel.
There was nothing human about the
life they led as husband and wife, and
she was woman who i'll her heart,
like all true women, laughed at the
traditions that made her SeX-lovc distant
worship.
One day Ruskin brought an artist to
paint his wifc's picture. And the man
was Millais, and he was n bright, CHEEKY,
handsome fellow, human every inch of
him, with great and absorbing love
for the beautiful, and willingness to
tell of his love.
He began to paint the portrait Of the
magnificent woman, and when he had
, finished he was in love with his friend s
wife.
!, Womanlike she saw it, and perhaps
she was not full of sorrow and reproach.
1t was the first tribute of real manful
, love that had ever been laid at her feet.
And Ruskin? Ills wide eyes saw the
, romance that was weaving around those
, two lives and his heart realized how lit
tie affection he had to lavish on the
woman whom he had made his wife.
How he told her the story of his pride
in her and the sacrifice he was to make
for her, while she lay prone at his feet,
is one of the things which only he oil
she could tell.
1T is difficult to obtain divorce in
, England, but John Ruskin secured it fol
her, and one bracing morning in the
5 early winter, u month after the divorce
! was granted. Ruskin stood beside IT,
t couple in one OF London's quiet churches
and saw them made man and wife.
That was good many years ago, and
since then AIiliais has become rich and
famous, and is now Sir John and his
wife is my Lady Millais.
The warmest, sturdiest friend the
struggling painter had in his toiling days
was the man whose wife he had mar
Z; ried, and through all the years Of Nal
9 lais' later success and great honor John
: Ruskin has been the welcome guest and
almost daily visitor to the man and
woman whose lives he so unselfishly
crowned with happiness.
1t is II strange story and the world
Q knows little about it, and so some mer
have condemned him as some womer
: have censured her. But the two ,mer
and that one woman who know bcs
t have been happy and contented with the
change that John RuslSin's pure un
:. sclfishness brought into their lives.
] And so the world should not com
] plain.-[N. Y. Graphic.